Thursday, July 24, 2008

"Braving toxic fumes and the same toxic tailings waste that earlier this year killed 500 ducks, Greenpeace activists entered Syncrude's Aurora North tar sands operation early this morning and blocked a pipe into the two-kilometre wide tailings pond.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m today, 11 Greenpeace activists blocked the pipe to prevent further toxic contamination of Alberta's environment. The activists capped the opening of the pipe, locking a large device in place while several other activists erected a triangular banner over another pipe depicting a skull and crossbones which hung above the pipe's opening, giving the illusion of toxic water gushing from the "mouth" of the skull. Several other activists deployed a massive banner along the bank of the tailings pond, reading "World's Dirtiest Oil: Stop the Tar Sands."

12 comments:

Linseman
said...

Are you allowed to comment on this working for APIRG?

Are there other NGO groups that bring more to the table than Greenpeace? Why do they still maintain their focus on "raising the awareness" when everyone and Blake Robert's dog is well aware of the problems of the oil sands. Did they stock up on banners and have to get them used up or else lose a deposit from head office?

Ummmm, although I agree that we need to work on environmental issues in relation to the oilsands (and the whole of industry in Alberta for that matter), I'm not so sure that (what is at best) vandalism and tresspassing (and at worst dangerous industrial sabotage) is all that productive.

The gig at the Premier's dinner was funny and a great spot to build awareness. This ... not so much.

Most major news outlets were reporting that the group got stopped prior to actually blocking any pipes.

Maybe once they had cut through the fence they realized that causing a backup was potentially dangerous? Not one of those loons could be knowledgable enough about Syncrude's operations to garuntee that backing up a pipe wouldn't end in a very bad result.

I agree with linseman, everyone and their dead dogs is well aware of the Oil Sands issues by now. It's time for groups like Greenpeace to start offering actual solutions and replacements.

Not only was this stunt useless but it had the potential to expose the communities downstream, such as Fort Chip and even Yellowknife, to extremely dangerous substances. I hope these clowns are put in jail for a while.

You're playing in the big leagues now children and attempted sabotage out to be punished heavily.

Greenpeace activists are taking the word 'activism' way too seriously. They should try thinking instead. Maybe then they would come up with some facts and a credible manner of presenting them. Marnie Tunayhttp://fakirscanada.googlepages.com/

Marnie said: "They should try thinking instead. Maybe then they would come up with some facts and a credible manner of presenting them."

And where would they present them? To the PC dominated Alberta Legislature? To the media? There have already been no shortage of experts who have publicly warned against what is going on in the oil sands who in turn were discredited by simplistic retorts by the likes of Waugh, Bell, Olsen, and the crowd.

Agree with their methods or not, Greenpeace is very successful at keeping this issue in the media (national and international).

EDMONTON - Oilsands development could be putting one of Canada's largest groundwater systems in peril, the Alberta Wilderness Association warned Saturday.

Many of the region's oilsands projects sit directly below what's believed to be the largest aquifer in the North American Plains region.

This immense system of underground water channels, which includes parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, is an invaluable source of Canadian freshwater that feeds into several important waterways such as the Athabasca River.

Critics are particularly worried about oil projects taking place over aquifers that use an oil extraction method called Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage, or SAGD, commonly used in an area between Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche.

SAGD uses high-pressure steam to heat underground oil deposits, or bitumen, and liquefy it to be piped.

An impermeable layer of shale sits between the bitumen and the aquifer layers, but if the steam chambers blew out, the water could be contaminated, said Carolyn Campbell, conservation specialist with the association.

Interesting that they would go through all the trouble to get up there to try and protest, but do any of them realize the implications that they could have caused? Oh great let us be a bunch of idiots, close off a waste pipe, and have a chance at causing an incident which would be far more damaging than just letting the process run. And then I hear that they were merely given a slap on the wrist? Granted that there should be greater restriction for the preservation of the environment enforced by the Alberta government, but sending a bunch of yahoos up there is just going to end up causing a major accident where many could be put in danger.

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Who is Dave Cournoyer? I am a writer, blogger, communicator, occasional media pundit, political watcher, & proud life-long Albertan. I studied Political Science at the University of Alberta and have served as Vice-President (External) of the U of A Students' Union, Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students, and communications coordinator for Alberta's official opposition party.